Low Budget Screenwriting

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I think this sort of screenwriting is under-rated. I am a part-time filmmaker and screenwriter and I've found it hard writing a script that has made best use of limited resources. There is so much thinking you have to do from scene to scene which makes this form of writing a skill within itself.
What do you guys think?
 
It's part of the challenge and I think it actually makes you a better filmmaker and force you to get creative rather than just throw money around.
 
I think part of being a low budget filmmaker is finding the resourses. Don't build limitations into your script, write a good story then find the resourses. I know what you are saying, but I think too many filmmakers write scaled down stories because they are just lazy at execution.
 
I'd say too many fillmmakers write BAD scaled-down stories because they're lazy at WRITING. I've had to write within budget contraints my whole career (the joy of advertising). Sometimes that budget is nice, sometimes it's next to nothing. There's always a creative way to do something, but you can write an FX-laden piece with a buck ninety-five budget.

Still, unless you're doing something that is location-specific (like Paris when you live in Jersey) or action/sci-fi, I would concur that you should be able to figure out some way of getting a script shot. Good character-driven pieces (including comedies) don't need fancy locations. Look at "Office Space." Yeah, the fire at the end cost some money, but you could stage that entire film by begging locations from people you know if you had to.
 
There's far-far more movies put into production that are DTV/D2DVD than theatrical - so for the savy writer who's looking to score credits, then the DTV market is wise.

Best off heading over to Bill C Martell's site at www.scriptsecrets.net.

Bill's written over 18 DTV features - and written a book on it too.

EJ
 
I firmly believe content is KING. . . write it out without constraints, but, if budget is a key factor think of ways to shoot that will convey the idea of a thing without actually showing it. People will excuse a lot if the story is compelling. Sometimes dead on is overkill, kind of like writing; "Bob looked in the mirror, a short, squat, unshaven man with brown hair, crooked eyes, and a hump looked back and winked." I mean really, you can create a world without actually shooting it. I know this is simplistic but 12 Angry Men conveyed a hot summer in a major city without ever leaving a single room. The sounds, the unbuttoned shirts, and sweaty hair conveyed a lot without having to show shots of the "burning sun".

Just my 0.02:)
 
I think it depends on several factors. If you want to write a script in hopes
that an Indie production company will pick it up, then write it on a budget. If
you want to enter Project Greenlight competition, I think the script's budget need
not exceed 1 million.

If however you want your script to go wide, then budget is not on the agenda.
It's more about making the script as visual, as interesting, as captivating as
possible. Not saying that writing on a budget doesn't follow this, however,
when you go wide, the skies the limit.
 
Lack of resources can hold you back, or it can inspire creativity. One story from Monty Python's "Life of Brian" comes to mind. Early in the film, there's a gladiator show inside a mostly empty coliseum. They couldn't afford to fill it with extras, so one of the Pythons had the idea of putting a title on screen that says: "Children's Matinee." It's a funny joke on a few levels, and it explains the empty arena. And it's certainly much funnier than the scene would have been if they'd had the money to just bring in a couple thousand extras.

Those are the moments you have to seize when writing on a budget. I've had a few similar moments with a screenplay I've been working on where I know I can't afford to do something that seems necessary to the story. It's a struggle, but I've often come up with better ideas that can be produced for next to nothing.

Cheers,

Josh
 
I have a few friends around the world I guess. A couple come on these forums infect. One from America and another from Singapore[?]

Basically they are mainly action/drama people, and since I want to help I volunteer to help with script. Thing is yet again limited resources. And I do agree with some of the comments above. Especially one about filmmakers being to lazy to fit the film around the script. Or just to lazy to go full on with there locations.

I'm writing a small action/drama piece for the Drama-Fest myself. I live in South Wales. Some things, that I just cant do in my hometown makes me have to go to London within some point in the next 2 months just to shoot the film. Dedications I guess you could say, but at the same time Im not limiting the script to its small freedom. Im fitting the film around the script like a glove so its better and you get the most out of a good script. Maybe its the fact Im cold, tired and its getting late here, but I think that just about made sense.
 
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